The star forward for Liverpool, Mohamed Salah, has been described by his personal security guard as having a “really normal life” off the pitch.
The well-known Liverpool football player Mohamed Salah is not just beloved by supporters everywhere but is also a national hero in Egypt. He has won the hearts of Egyptians with his outstanding on-field exploits and charitable deeds.
However, being in the spotlight has its own set of difficulties, especially in terms of personal safety. Karim Abdou, Salah’s personal security guard, recently discussed his challenges in protecting one of football’s top talents in an interview with the 5ASide Podcast.
According to Abdou, Salah’s adoring Egyptian fans have gone to great lengths to meet their idol. He related a story about how Salah went to a mosque to pray, and while he was gone, someone discreetly followed him and revealed his home address to a WhatsApp group. Within minutes, thousands of neighbours gathered in front of his house.
When Salah returned home after winning the Champions League, the issue only became worse. Thousands of people were already on the streets praying for Eid al-Fitr, which is seen by Egyptians as a joyful festival comparable to Christmas. Media outlets gathered in a queue outside Salah’s home, treating it like the World Cup championship game.
“He is a ghost. He cannot be seen,” he said. “One time, he went to pray in a mosque. Nobody knew where he lived and somebody followed him. He [the guy following] put in a WhatsApp group, ‘Mo Salah lives in that address’. I walked after him and 20,000 people showed up to his house after five minutes. These 20,000 were just people who lived in the community. The rest of the people, when they heard, were driving [there].
“When he won the Champions League, that was the most crazy time. I was supposed to be with him, but he took an extra few days off and went to his home base. It was Eid [al-Fitr] and that prayer is thousands of people in the street because it is like Christmas here.
“When he came, he was supposed to go and pray in the street with everybody and he just won the Champions League so everyone wants to take pictures with him. Every single Egyptian media, TV, newspaper… it was like the final of the World Cup. They were lining up in front of his house.”
When Salah was due to join them after his days off, Abdou recalled being in a hotel with the Egyptian national team. Salah, however, was unable to even open his door to leave due to the massive gathering outside. The security team made an effort to locate a different exit, but they encountered several difficulties.
“At the same time, I was at a hotel with the Egyptian national team,” Abdou explained. “[Salah] was supposed to finish the two days off and come there. Out of nowhere, he was inside the house and could not even open the door. They tried to escape him out the back door, but they couldn’t.”
Abdou always treads carefully to make sure Salah is safe. All gifts received on behalf of Salah, he said, are carefully inspected since they can contain dangerous materials. Abdou emphasised the value of exercising caution and refraining from accepting presents before carefully inspecting them.
Salah continues to be generous to the community despite the dangers involved. Salah has donated millions of dollars to help sick people, give cities ambulances, and give financial aid to individuals in need, according to Abdou.
“I’ll give you one secret,” Abdou added. “Salah helped the community. He paid millions and millions for sick people. He bought ambulances for the cities. He helped people who were short of money to get married. If somebody needs surgery, somebody has struggles, somebody has bills, so added to all this, he’s being treated like, people write on a paper and give it to him because people think he’s going to solve all their problems.”
It is difficult to fathom just how much of an idol Salah is in Egypt, according to Liverpool.com. The Liverpool forward is well-known all over the world and has established himself as one of the most recognisable individuals on the planet. He should be able to sign a new contract and wrap up his career at Anfield.